1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system interaction with remote devices, and more particularly to a system and method for remote use of information handling system audio components.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems are often used as personal entertainment devices that store and play multimedia files, such as MP3 audio files. The hard disk drives typically built into information handling systems are capable of storing and playing substantial multimedia libraries. Information handling systems generally support speakers to play audio and a display to present video images from stored multimedia files. Portable information handling systems integrate a power source, the speakers and the display into a common chassis so that users may carry entertainment with them. Although portable information handling systems provide a versatile entertainment device, in some instances users desire an even smaller profile device to play audio. Portable audio devices have a mass storage device to store compressed audio files, such as MP3 files, and minimal processing capability to process the stored audio files into audio signals for use by a headset and to coordinate storage and retrieval of audio files through a small integrated display. Such audio devices are commonly called MP3 players although other types of file compression protocols are often supported. Since audio players generally have relatively small mass storage devices, users often manage multimedia libraries on a desktop or notebook information handling systems and connect audio players to the multimedia library to select files for download to the audio player. Audio players typically connect to the information handling system through a serial link, such as a USB link, with management applications running on the device and the system coordinating communication across the link.
In some instances, users desire to interface a portable audio device with an information handling system to play audio over the information handling system's speakers. With power on both the information handling system and the portable device, the information handling system can download audio files from the mass storage device of the audio device and process the audio files with the information handling system's CPU, chipset and memory. A disadvantage to this approach is that the information handling system uses a substantial amount of power, which can drain the internal battery of a portable information handling system. Some power savings is possible if components are powered down that are not needed for processing the audio file, however, the components needed to process the audio files tend to consume greater amounts of power, such as the CPU, memory, hard disk drive, chipset and audio subsystem. As an alternative, a portable information handling system may have a separate audio processing system that operates with the main processing components powered down. The separate audio system interfaces with the portable audio device to retrieve and play audio files from the audio device mass storage using the information handling system audio sound system and reduces information handling system power consumption by powering down most processing components. However, inclusion of the separate audio system adds considerable expense to the information handling system.